Unbeaten Yorba Linda captures its first outright Empire title

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TUSTIN
Ian Eldridge rushed for 186 yards on 10 carries and scored three touchdowns Friday night as Yorba Linda completed its first undefeated season and won the first outright league title in school history with a 41-10 victory against host Tustin in an Empire League finale.

The Mustangs (10-0, 6-0) also scored two touchdowns on defense, giving them eight this season.

On the game's opening drive, Tustin (1-9, 1-5) reached the Yorba Linda 10-yard line on a 58-yard pass from
George Ayala to
George Wilson, but on the next play outside linebacker
Tyler Cooke recovered a fumble in the backfield and raced 87 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Eldridge, who had 157 rushing yards in the second half, scored his first touchdown on a 17-yard run with 7:26 left in the first quarter. Tustin halted Yorba Linda's next drive when
Aramie Faletoi intercepted a pass from
Jake Gigliotti, but the Tillers failed to capitalize when
Brandon Canchola missed a 32-yard field-goal attempt.

Canchola converted a 40-yard field goal later in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 14-3 at the half.

Jake Fischbeck extended the lead to 21-3 when the senior tight end caught a lateral screen pass from Gigliotti and scampered 7 yards into the end zone.

The Mustangs then notched their second defensive score less than two minutes later when inside linebacker
Ryan Magarian recovered a bobbled pitch from the air and ran 30 yards for a touchdown with 3:13 left in the third.

Eldridge added a 44-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds left in the third and a 77-yard score in the fourth.

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